Partly woven and partly knitted fabric and apparatus for making the same

ABSTRACT

Longitudinal fabric sections, each of which include a group of warp threads and sectional double-weft elements, are connected to each other by a wale of chain stitches extending between two woven fabric sections in warp direction and tying the end loops and connecting loops of the double-weft elements of the adjacent fabric sections.

United States Patent [72] Inventors Miloslav Jisa Liberec; Josef Zmatlik; Josef Mohelnicky; Bohumil Milichovsky, Prague, Czechoslovakia [21] Appl.No. 786,863

[22] Filed Dec. 23, 1968 [45] Patented May 25, 1971 [73] Assignee Stantni Vyzkumny Ustav Textilni Liberec, Czechoslovakia [32] Priority Dec. 22, 1967 [3 3] Czechoslovakia [54] PARTLY WOVEN AND PARTLY KNITTED FABRIC AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING THE SAME l 1 Claims, 13 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.Cl 139/383,

[51] Int. Cl D03d 25/00 [50] Field of Search 139/1, 124, 383, ll; 66/190-193 [5 6] References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS 518,678 3/1940 Great Britain 139/383 Primary Examinerl-lenry S. J audon Attorney-Michael S. Striker ABSTRACT: Longitudinal fabric sections, each of which include a group of warp threads and sectional double-weft elements, are connected to each other by a wale of chain stitches extending between two woven fabric sections in warp direction and tying the end loops and connecting loops of the double-weft elements of the adjacent fabric sections.

Patented May 25, 1971 3,580,295

8 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented May 25, 1971 3,580,295

8 Sheets-Sheet 5 Y A B Patented May 25, 1971 3,580,295

8 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented May 25, 1971 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Ma 25, 1971 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 Patented May 25, 1971 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 Patented May 25, 1971 3,580,295

8 Sheets-Sheet 8 PARTLY WOVEN AND PARTLY KNITTED FABRIC AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING THE SAME BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is known to weave narrow fabrics, such as ribbons or bands on a shuttleless loom in which the weft thread is inserted by an inserting needle into each warp shed in the form of loops so that a selvedge is formed only on the side of the band from which the weft inserting needle is inserted. In order to form a selvedge on the other edge of the band, it is known to knit the ends of the weft loops together to form a chain stitch or wale. Tapes, ribbons or bands are made in this manner on shuttleless looms, the weft thread being inserted into the shed as a double thread by means of an oscillating weft inserting needle. For forming the selvedge on the far side of the band, a tying or knitting needle which is a latch needle or a bearded needle is used which catches the end of each inserted weft loops, and pulls it through the preceding loop. The tying needle is mounted on a support which is adapted to reciprocate along a straight path, or along a closed narrow endless curved path so that the active needle part may enter the open shed, and after the change thereof, return to its starting position.

The weft inserting needle of the prior art is adapted to enter the open warp shed, and to insert a weft thread in the form of a loop whose ends on the other side of the loom is caught by the knitting and typing needle. When the weft inserting needle is retracted, the warp shed is closed, and the preceding loop of the knitting tying needle will, due to the retraction of the reciprocating tying needle, be pulled over the newly fonned loop so that a selvedge in the form of a long chain stitch or knitted wale is formed. On the near side of the band, the weft is simply laid about the first warp so that selvedge is formed without requiring the assistance of a knitting needle.

According to the prior art, looms of this type are exclusively used for making bands or ribbons, since it is not possible to make a weft inserting needle so long that it passes through the full transverse width of a full size fabric.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is one object of the invention to provide a partly woven and partly knitted fabric of full width in weft direction without the use of a picked shuttle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a loom in which a fabric of normal standard width can be made by small weft inserting needles at a very high speed.

Another object of the invention is to make a plurality of adjacent longitudinal fabric sections by weaving operations using weft inserting needles.

Another object of the invention is to connect woven longitudinal fabric sections by loops formed of weft threads so that a knitted wale extends in warp direction between each pair of adjacent longitudinal fabric sections.

A fabric according to one embodiment of the invention comprises a plurality of longitudinal fabric sections, each including a group of warp threads and sectional double-weft elements, the sectional double-weft elements of the fabric sections being aligned in weft direction, respectively, and having overlapping portions.

Each sectional double-weft element includes a pair of coextensive weft thread sections woven into the warp threads of the respective group of warp threads, an end loop connecting one pair of ends of the weft thread sections, and a connecting loop connecting the other end of one of the weft thread sections with a weft thread section of a double-weft element of the same fabric section so that the double-weft elements of each fabric section are part of one weft thread, respectively.

The connecting loops are looped about threads of the respective adjacent fabric section, and the end loops of successive double-weft elements being located in the overlapping portion of the respective fabric section and looped to each other in chain loops forming a wale in warp direction between the warp threads of adjacent fabric sections.

In one embodiment of the invention, the connecting loops of each fabric section are looped with the end loops of the double-weft elements of the adjacent fabric section, respectively.

In another embodiment of the invention, the connecting loops of each sectional weft element are looped about at least one warp thread of the respective adjacent fabric section. Preferably, the connecting loops are looped about the same warp threads of the respective adjacent fabric section at a point located on the warp threads between the crossing points of the same with the pairs of weft thread sections of two successive double-weft elements of the adjacent fabric section.

It is evident that the fabric according to the invention can be made of any material suitable for weaving and knitting. The construction of the fabric of the invention makes it possible to utilize pattern controlling techniques which cannot be employed in conventional weaving looms.

An apparatus for making the fabric of the invention comprises means for forming warp sheds of a plurality of groups of adjacent warp threads; a plurality of weft inserting means spaced from each other across the warp threads, and being reciprocable along overlapping paths transverse to the warp threads through the warp sheds formed by the groups of warp threads, respectively, so that a plurality of adjacent woven fabric sections extending in warp direction is formed; and a plurality of reciprocable tying needles, respectively located between adjacent fabric sections, and cooperating with the weft inserting means, respectively, to form connecting loops of threads of adjacent fabric sections whereby the fabric sections are connected by a knitted wale extending in warp direction.

In the preferred apparatus of the invention, the weftinserting means includes a plurality of needles, simultaneously oscillating to insert the weft threads into the warp sheds of the fabric sections. The paths of the oscillating weft inserting needles, which are aligned in one warp shed, overlap, so that when an end loop is formed by the tying needle of one inserted double-weft element, the next following weft inserting needle loops a connecting portion of the double-weft element of the adjacent fabric section about the respective end loop, and then forms chain loops of the end loops so that a wale of chain stitches is formed between the fabric sections.

Since the path of movement'of each weft inserting needle is much shorter than paths of the shuttle carrying a weft thread in a standard loom, it is possible, even at relatively low speeds of the weft inserting needles, to increase the picks to a number three times as great as can be obtained by highly efficient modern looms of standard type. Furthermore, due to he small mass of the weft inserting needle, and due to the short distance along which the same moves, each weft inserting needle can be operated at very high speeds while the wefts are simultaneously inserted into the warp sheds of the adjacent fabric sections, respectively.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGS. 1 to 4 are diagrammatic views illustrating on an enlarged scale, four embodiments of the fabric according .to the invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating one sectional double-weft element located in a longitudinal fabric section and having loops connected with other loops of adjacent corresponding sectional double-weft elements;

FIG. 6 illustrates a closed end loop in detail, and FIG. 7 illustrates an open end loop in detail;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating weft insetting needles in end positions in which a weft thread is fully inserted into the warp shed of the respective fabric section;

FIGS. 9 and are views illustrating relative positions of the tying and weft inserting needles;

FIG. 11 is a side elevation of a needle loom according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary front view illustrating the operating means of the tying and knitting needles of the loom of FIG. 1 1; and

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary elevation, partly in section, of the operating means of FIG. 12.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 5 which illustrate the same embodiment, a fabric section B, which extends along the entire length of the fabric, consists of warp threads 1 which cross in a plain weave with sectional double-weft elements 3. Each sectional double-weft element 3 includes a pair of coextensive, preferably parallel, weft thread sections 4 and 5, respectively. The sectional double-weft elements of the fabric section B overlap with corresponding fabric sections A and A, each of which includes four warp threads and sectional double-weft elements, which are respectively aligned in weft direction with the double-weft elements of the fabric section B.

Each double-weft element 3 includes an end loop 6, which is closed in the embodiment of FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 5, and open in the embodiment of FIG. 4. Each double-weft element 3 has at the other end a connecting loop 7 which is looped about the end loop 6Aa of the sectional double-weft element 3Aa.

The sectional double-weft elements which are aligned in warp sheds are designated by reference numerals 2, 2a, 2b, reference numeral 2a designating a following weft means, and reference numeral 2b illustrating a preceding weft means.

Strictly speaking, each weft thread section 4 and 5 ends in half a connecting loop 7, but in the present application, it will be assumed that each sectional double-weft element includes an end loop 6, two coextensive weft thread sections 4, and 5, and a connecting loop 7 connecting the weft thread section 5 of the weft means 2 with the weft thread section 4 of the weft means 2b. i

It will be seen that each connecting loop 7 is looped about the end loop of the aligned sectional double-weft element. Furthermore, the end loops 6 are looped through each other to form a wale of chain stitches between adjacent fabric portions A and B. The weft thread sections 4 and 5 interlace with a least two warp threads 1. Due to the fact that the connecting loops 7 are connected with the end loops 6, the fabric sections A and B are permanently connected by a knitted wale 8.

In the embodiment of FIG. 2, longitudinal fabric sections A and B are only partly shown. A weft means 2 includes aligned double-weft elements 38 and 3A. The connecting portion 7 of the weft means 2 is looped about the end loop 6 of the double-weft element 3Aa of the following weft means 20, and the connecting loop 76 of the double-weft element 3Ba is looped about the end loop 6 of the next following weft means 20. The sectional double-weft elements of the weft means 2b have a connecting loop 7b looped about the end loop 6 of the sectional double-weft element 3A of the weft means 2.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, the weft sections 4 and 5 of a double-weft element 38, end in connecting loops 70 which are looped about the same warp thread la. The weft thread sections are slightly spread, so that between loops 70 of successive weft means 2, 2a, the weft sections 4A, 5A of the next adjacent sectional double-weft element are located.

Depending on the selected pattern, the connecting loops 70 may engage any of the warp threads I in fabric section A.

The embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3 have closed end loops 6. FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment in which the end loops 60 are open, the two end loops of the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 4 being also shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4 is distinguished from the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2 only by the construction of the end loops 60.

The fabric of the invention is manufactured on a loom shown schematically in FIG. 8. A plurality of weft inserting needles, and the like number of tying latch needles 10 are provided. The weft inserting needles are mounted for pivotal and oscillating movement on pins 11 on a stationary bar 12 which is disposed above the fabric 13 to be made, and at right angles to the warp direction. Each of the weft inserting needles 9 comprises a straight hollow stem 14 merging into a curved hollow inserting portion 15 terminating in a guide eyelet 16. Each weft inserting needle is supplied with a weft thread 17 from a package. A plurality of thread packages is provided for supplying a weft thread 17 to each weft inserting means during oscillation in direction of the arrows 18, 19. The weft inserting needles 9 are coupled with each other for parallel movement for example by rod connecting the stems l4 and being articulated to the same.

Cams are provided for oscillating the weft inserting means so that the inserting portion 15 enters each warp shed of a fabric section A or B from the left, places one weft section in the same, until the eyelet 16 reaches an extreme position overlapping with the weft inserting needle of the adjacent fabric section so that the paths of oscillations of the weft inserting needles 9 overlap over at least one warp thread 1.

The tying knitting needles 20, are latch needles having a hook 20 and a tongue 21, and are mounted on a bar 22 positioned between the fabric 13 being woven and the weft inserting needles 9. Bar 22 with tying needles 10 is reciprocated along a straight path in the direction of the arrows 23 and 24 by means which will be explained hereinafter. It is also possible to move bar 22 along a curved endless path.

The movement of the weft inserting needles 9 in relation to the slay, not shown, should be chosen so that they enter with inserting portion 15, the warp sheds obliquely to the upper warp. In one extreme position of weft inserting needles 9, the same are located above the warp threads 1, while in the other extreme position, they are received in the open warp shed.

In operation, the weft inserting needles 9 insert separate weft threads into the warp sheds of the fabric sections, respectively. When eyelet l6 arrives on the other side of the respective fabric section, the end loop 6 is caught by the hook of the respective knitting needle 10, and when the weft inserting needles 9 are returned to the starting position on the first side of the respective longitudinal fabric section, the weft thread is released through eye 16, and a pair of coextensive weft thread sections 4 and 5 is located in the respective warp shed. Before the sectional double-weft elements 3 are beaten up by the reed, the old end loops 6, which were left after the previous warp shed change, are pulled over the new end loops 6 from the closed warp sheds, the new end loops 6 being withdrawn beyond the upper warp shed layer by an axial movement of the knitting needles 10. By this operation of the tying needle, a wale 8 of chain loops is formed between two adjacent longitudinal fabric sections A and B. Simultaneously with the opening of the next shed, the weft inserting needles enter the same, forming connecting loops 7 about the end loops 6. The sectional double-weft elements 3, which are formed simultaneously along the whole transverse width of the warp and warp sheds, are beaten into the fell of the fabric by a reed, not shown, if desired.

When the weft inserting needles 9 are in the extreme positions in the open warp shed relative to the position of the tying knitting needle 10, the configuration of the sectional doubleweft elements is determined.

When a fabric having closed end loops 6 according to FIG. 6 is made, tying knitting needles 10 enter the open warp shed before the weft inserting needles reach the extreme positions inside the open warp shed, see FIG. 9, and the knitting needles 10 are returned from this position sooner than the weft inserting needles 9. On the formed sectional double weft elements, closed end loops 6, as shown in FIG. 6 are pulled over the following end loops.

On the other hand if the fabric with open end loops 60, see FIG. 7, are woven, the tying knitting needles enter the open warp shed immediately after the weft inserting needles 9 have reached their extreme position therein, and are returned after the weft inserting needles 9 have left the shed.

The apparatus, which is schematically shown in FIG. 8, is illustrated in greater detail in FIGS. 11, 12 and 13. Referring first to FIG. 11, the loom is supported on a frame 25 which mounts in the lower part thereof, two warp beams 26 and 27 with brakes 28. Warp threads 1 withdrawn from the two warp beams 26 and 27 form two warps supplied symmetrically in the direction of the arrows 29 to the heddle frames 30, 31 which are constructed as interengaging combs mounted on holders 32, 33. Holders 32, 33 are respectively pivotally mounted on arms 34, 35 which are turnable about shafts 36, 37, respectively. Holders 32 and 33 are also connected with crank levers 38, 39 which are pivotally mounted on shafts 40, 41, respectively, and have follower rollers controlled by earns 43, 44, respectively, which are secured to the main driving shaft 45. The entire shed forming mechanism is located between two sidewalls supported on frame 25, only one of the sidewalls 46 being shown in FIG. 11. The warp threads are threaded alternately into the eyes 47 of the heddle frames 30, 31, as best seen in FIG. 13. Above the shed forming heddle frames, a device 48 is provided for inserting sectional doubleweft elements into the sheds, as best seen in FIGS. 12 and 13. In this arrangement, no reed is provided for beating up the inserted double-weft elements against the fell of the newly woven fabric, and the tightness of the weave is accomplished by tensioning the warp threads during the change of the shed.

The woven fabric 13 is taken up by a cloth roller 49, guided about a pressure roller 50, and finally wound on the cloth beam 51.

The weft inserting device 48 includesthe above-described weft inserting needles 9 and tying knitting needles 10.

Referring to FIGS. 12 and 13, the weft inserting needles 9 are journaled on pins 11 which are secured to the stationary bar 12. The tying knitting needles 10 are supported in another bar 22, freely passing through openings 53 in the stationary bar 12. Weft inserting needles 9 have arms 54 with slots in which pins 55 are located, which are secured to a control rod 56 which is articulated to a link 57 terminating in a follower roller 58 which is connected with a lever 61 mounted on a pivot 62 and biassed by a spring 63 so that follower roller 58 is urged into engagement with a cam 59 rotated by a shaft 60. Rotation of cam 59 will cause reciprocation of control rod 56 and simultaneous oscillation of all weft inserting needles 9 to insert weft threads into the simultaneously open warp sheds of the several groups of warp threads of which the interconnected fabric sections will be formed.

Shaft 60 is driven through a gear transmission 64, 65 from a shaft 66 which is connected by a transmission, not shown, with the main driving shaft 45.

Shaft 66 carries several earns 67 controlling followers 68 pivotally mounted in holders 69 which are arranged on the bar 22 supporting the tying knitting needles 10. The engagement between follower 68 and cam 67 is obtained by the action of springs 70. The weft threads for each weft inserting needle 9 are supplied from a corresponding number of weft thread packages 76 from which the weft threads are respectively guided over thread brakes 77 and guides 73, 72, and 71, of which guide 72 issupported on a lever 74 which is urged by a spring 75 to tension the weft thread.

During the operation, cam 59 reciprocates control rod 56 so that the weft inserting needles oscillate into and out of the sheds along overlapping paths. At the same time, the tying knitting needles l0 simultaneously perform linear reciprocating movements and catch and hold the weft threads to form end loops 6 during the return stroke of the weft inserting needles. The respective connecting loops 7 are formed when the respective weft inserting needle starts its next reciprocating forward stroke into the warp shed. Whenever the eyelets 16 are located outside of the warp sheds, the warp sheds are changed.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of a partly woven and partly knitted fabric differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a fabric comprising longitudinal woven fabric sections connected by knitted wales of chain stiches, and a loom with a plurality of weft inserting needles and tying knitting needles, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

What we claim as new and desire to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

1. A partly woven and partly knitted fabric comprising a plurality of longitudinal fabric section, each fabric section including a group of warp threads and sectional double-weft elements, the sectional double-weft elements of said fabric sections being aligned in weft direction, respectively, and having overlapping first and second lateral marginal portions; each sectional double-weft element including a pair of coextensive weft thread sections woven into said warp threads of the respective group of warp threads, an end loop connecting one pair of ends of said weft thread sections, and a connecting loop connecting the other end of one of said weft thread sections with a weft thread section of a double-weft element of the same fabric section so that the double-weft elements of each fabric section are part of one weft thread, respectively; said end loops and said connecting loops of the double-weft elements of said fabric sections being located in corresponding first and second lateral marginal portions on corresponding opposite sides of the respective fabric sections, respectively, so that said end loops in said first lateral marginal portions overlap with said connecting loops in said second marginal portions of the respective adjacent fabric sections and so that the end loops of the double-weft elements of two adjacent fabric sections are transversely spaced from each other the width of a fabric section, said connecting loops of each fabric section being looped about threads of the adjacent fabric section, respectively; and the end loops of successive double-weft elements of the same fabric section being looped to each other in chain loops forming a wale between adjacent fabric sections.

2. A fabric as claimed in claim 1 wherein said connecting loops of each fabric section are looped with the end loops of double-weft elements of the adjacent fabric section, respectively 3. A fabric as claimed in claim 1 wherein said connecting loops of said double-weft elements of each fabric section are looped with the end loops of aligned double-weft elements of the adjacent fabric section, respectively.

4. A fabric as claimed in claim 1 wherein said connecting loops of said double-weft elements of each fabric section extend into the region of the following double-weft elements and are looped with the end loops of the following double-weft elements of the adjacent fabric section, respectively.

5. A fabric as claimed in claim 1 wherein said connecting loops are looped about at last one warp thread of the respective adjacent fabric section.

6. A fabric as claimed in claim 1 wherein said connecting loops of each fabric section are looped about the same warp thread of the respective adjacent fabric section.

7. A fabric as claimed in claim 1 wherein said connecting loops of each fabric section are looped about the same warp thread of the respective adjacent fabric section at a point located on said warp thread between the crossing points of the same with the pairs of weft thread sections of two successive double-weft elements of said adjacent fabric section.

8. A fabric as claimed in claim 1 wherein said end loops of said doubleweft elements are closed loops.

9. A fabric as claimed in claim 1 wherein said end loops are open loops.

10. A fabric as claimed in claim ll comprising at least three adjacent fabric sections, said fabric sections having said end loops in corresponding first lateral marginal portions, and said connecting loops in corresponding second lateral marginal portions so that first and second lateral marginal portions of adjacent fabric sections overlap.

11. A partly woven and partly knitted fabric comprising a plurality of longitudinal fabric sections, each fabric section including a group of warp threads and sectional double-weft elements, the sectional double-weft elements of said fabric sections being aligned in weft direction, respectively, and having overlapping portions; each sectional double-weft element including a pair of coextensive weft thread sections woven into said warp threads of the respective group of warp threads, an

end loop connected of said weft thread sections, and a connecting loop connecting the other end of one of said weft 

1. A partly woven and partly knitted fabric comprising a plurality of longitudinal fabric section, each fabric section including a group of warp threads and sectional double-weft elements, the sectional double-weft elements of said fabric sections being aligned in weft direction, respectively, and having overlapping first and second lateral marginal portions; each sectional double-weft element including a pair of coextensive weft thread sections woven into said warp threads of the respective group of warp threads, an end loop connecting one pair of ends of said weft thread sections, and a connecting loop connecting the other end of one of said weft thread sections with a weft thread section of a double-weft element of the same fabric section so that the double-weft elements of each fabric section are part of one weft thread, respectively; said end loops and said connecting loops of the double-weft elements of said fabric sections being located in corresponding first and second lateral marginal portions on corresponding opposite sides of the respective fabric sections, respectively, so that said end loops in said first lateral marginal portions overlap with said connecting loops in said second marginal portions of the respective adjacent fabric sections and so that the end loops of the double-weft elements of two adjacent fabric sections are transversely spaced from each other the width of a fabric section, said connecting loops of each fabric section being looped about threads of the adjacent fabric section, respectIvely; and the end loops of successive double-weft elements of the same fabric section being looped to each other in chain loops forming a wale between adjacent fabric sections.
 2. A fabric as claimed in claim 1 wherein said connecting loops of each fabric section are looped with the end loops of double-weft elements of the adjacent fabric section, respectively
 3. A fabric as claimed in claim 1 wherein said connecting loops of said double-weft elements of each fabric section are looped with the end loops of aligned double-weft elements of the adjacent fabric section, respectively.
 4. A fabric as claimed in claim 1 wherein said connecting loops of said double-weft elements of each fabric section extend into the region of the following double-weft elements and are looped with the end loops of the following double-weft elements of the adjacent fabric section, respectively.
 5. A fabric as claimed in claim 1 wherein said connecting loops are looped about at last one warp thread of the respective adjacent fabric section.
 6. A fabric as claimed in claim 1 wherein said connecting loops of each fabric section are looped about the same warp thread of the respective adjacent fabric section.
 7. A fabric as claimed in claim 1 wherein said connecting loops of each fabric section are looped about the same warp thread of the respective adjacent fabric section at a point located on said warp thread between the crossing points of the same with the pairs of weft thread sections of two successive double-weft elements of said adjacent fabric section.
 8. A fabric as claimed in claim 1 wherein said end loops of said double-weft elements are closed loops.
 9. A fabric as claimed in claim 1 wherein said end loops are open loops.
 10. A fabric as claimed in claim 1 comprising at least three adjacent fabric sections, said fabric sections having said end loops in corresponding first lateral marginal portions, and said connecting loops in corresponding second lateral marginal portions so that first and second lateral marginal portions of adjacent fabric sections overlap.
 11. A partly woven and partly knitted fabric comprising a plurality of longitudinal fabric sections, each fabric section including a group of warp threads and sectional double-weft elements, the sectional double-weft elements of said fabric sections being aligned in weft direction, respectively, and having overlapping portions; each sectional double-weft element including a pair of coextensive weft thread sections woven into said warp threads of the respective group of warp threads, an end loop connected of said weft thread sections, and a connecting loop connecting the other end of one of said weft thread sections with a weft thread section of a double-weft element of the same fabric section so that the double-weft elements of each fabric section are part of one weft thread, respectively; said connecting loops being looped about at least one warp thread of the respective adjacent fabric section, respectively; and the end loops of successive double-weft elements being located in the overlapping portion of the respective fabric section and looped to each other in chain loops forming a wale in warp direction between the warp threads of adjacent fabric sections. 